Public Statements

Issue Position: Preserving Social Security & Medicare

Issue Position

I will protect the promise of Social Security and Medicare for this generation and future generations, period. That is the reason I signed onto progressive Congressmen Alan Grayson's and Mark Takano's letter to President Obama pledging not to vote for any cuts to Social Security benefits, and because of my commitment to Social Security, I am proud to have been endorsed by Congressman Mark Takano. The way we fix Social Security isn't through cutting benefits to poor and middle class seniors--it is raising the cap on social security taxes, so the wealthy pay into the system at the same rate as the rest of us.

In tough economic times, with the cost of health care rising, it is more important than ever to maintain Social Security and Medicare benefits for seniors, many of whom are on fixed incomes and rely on these programs each and every day. I will draw the line at any cuts -- this is my promise to Massachusetts' seniors.

As a state legislator, I stood up to cuts in retirement benefits to public employees. And I will stand up to the extreme conservatives who repeatedly try to cut Medicare benefits for our seniors, and I will stand up to the big pharmaceutical companies and make sure Congress and the federal government can negotiate prescription drug costs -- so seniors aren't forced to choose between affording groceries and their prescriptions.